Doctor Starts Children’s Clothing Line: Cindy Christine Parker’s Case

“We had no formal business or fashion or marketing education or experience.  We knew we had a product that we strongly believed in and with this knowledge we knew we would not fail.”

Student reaction: “One of the lessons that Parker’s case features is that a person can never be too prepared for what life is going to bring you when you least expect it.”

From the Hot Mommas Project Learning Series: Cindy Christine Parker’s “Dr. Ooh La La – Funky Clothes for Little Monsters and Girly Girls”

Case themes include: family, confidence, individuality, dreams, change, and relationships.

Student contributor: GW student and Hot Mommas Project team member Kaitlyn McAuliffe

The Hot Mommas Project Learning Series showcases a female role model’s story selected by a student. Role models are tied to women’s success. Read, listen, and learn. More about the Hot Mommas Project here and here. Want to be a featured student? Contact us on Facebook or Twitter.

Click here to listen to the online version of the podcast with Kathy Korman Frey and intern and GW student Kaitlyn McAuliffe. Or, click here to listen here to listen and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.

Case excerpt

“In the summer of 2007 I timidly walked into our first boutique in southern California and got my first “real” order – 400 pieces in several designs.  I knew at this moment that Ooh La La Mama, LLC was going to be more than just a hobby.  We then were introduced to The Dressing Room in LA’s fashion mart.  They became our first show room and we started getting tons of wholesale orders right away.

Problem #2 for us: How to manage sales and production?”

Comment from student Kaitlyn McAuliffe:

Although the classroom environment and taking classes geared towards learning and using skills applicable for a career in business can be beneficial, there are skills that one must learn to be successful in business that are hard to teach in the classroom. This problem is exhibited in Cindy Christine Parker’s case, Dr. Ooh La La – Funky Clothes for Little Monsters and Girly Girls.  Dr. Parker’s background as a medical school graduate and an Emergency Room doctor trained her for highly stressful situations and blood and guts, but not for a new venture in children’s clothing. Parker’s case highlights the challenges and successes of learning business by doing business. As a student that has taken a few courses in management, far fewer than many of my peers, I often wonder how much more of a struggle it will be for me to learn so many things just by doing them. Luckily, I enjoy to be challenged in exactly that way, so hopefully it will not be too bad. However, there are many students that might find this learning experience to be overwhelming. Especially because the problems in new ventures and businesses seem to come faster than one could ever prepare for. The development of a website, product branding, sales and cash flow, and employee management, are only a few of the things that could cause problems in initial phases of the development of a new company. I believe one of the lessons that Parker’s case features is that a person can never be too prepared for what life is going to bring you when you least expect it. But, if a person has the drive to succeed, confidence in oneself, and willingness to learn, one can take a small idea and turn it into something much greater than originally anticipated. It is always fun to surprise yourself by doing things you never imagined you could do. And, as Dr. Parker demonstrates, anyone can do it, even if they don’t have a strong background in the field.

Summary

To use Hot Mommas Cases in a learning, training, or bookclub environment:

1. Read this blog post and Parker’s case “Dr. Ooh La La – Funky Clothes for Little Monsters and Girly Girls“
2. Listen to the podcast online or on iTunes.
3. Discuss!

You can find other cases in this series by clicking “Role Models in the Classroom“ under the categories heading in the right column of this blog.